Such tributes are often reserved for the dead or the famous and Hillyer is neither: He is a former D.C. school custodian, a man whose job involved scrubbing human waste off a playground at one school and discarding the burnt bottle caps of drug users at another, the article stated.

According to the article, when Hillyer retired this year, ending a three-decade career with the system, Janney Elementary School in the Tenleytown section of Northwest Washington realized that it was losing more than just the man who kept the terrazzo tiles clean.

"Hillyer Hallway" — as part of Janney will be known after a renovation is completed next year — was born of a series of moments that were not part of his job description but were very much part of the man, the article noted.

Norah Lycknell, Janney''s principal, said it was a student who suggested naming a hallway for Hillyer: The staff and PTA backed the idea, and a dedication ceremony will probably be held when renovations to the building are completed next year, the article added.